MLB Rumors: Ohtani market growing, Red Sox ace hunting, Mariners-Orioles trade buzz

MLB Rumors: Shohei Ohtani market could include half of baseball

Even after the elbow injury that will keep him off the mound for the 2024 season, it's the worst-kept secret in baseball that Shohei Ohtani will be the hottest commodity in MLB Free Agency this offseason.

We know well who the favorites have long been to sign Ohtani. The Los Angeles Dodgers remain in the mix as they've been posturing for the move for over a year now. The Seattle Mariners have long been a dark horse landing spot, and the New York Mets with Steve Cohen are sure to be ready to pony up the dough for the two-way superstar.

However, it seems like Ohtani's market has been growing with each passing week leading up to the offseason. Jon Heyman reported that the Texas Rangers should be a favorite now, which comes after an earlier report that Ohtani is more open to playing on the East Coast than previously thought.

Then came former GM Jim Bowden of The Athletic ($) who listed the best possible fits for the Top 40 free agents in MLB this offseason. And the list for Ohtani is extensive as it has the Dodgers, Rangers, Mariners, Mets, Red Sox, Cubs, Padres, Giants, Phillies and Blue Jays all listed as possible suitors for the Japanese sensation.

On top of that, Bowden predicted that Ohtani would get a 10-year, $477 million contract with incentives that would make the deal worth more than $500 million in total. That in itself is somewhat surprising given the uncertainty around his pitching after this latest UCL injury.

But we already knew that the Ohtani free agency was going to be a frenzy. The closer we get to it actually happening and with more and more teams seemingly ready to bid for his services, it seems like it's only going to be crazier.